PASSERINE BIRDS OF CEYLOX. 137 



build and appearance, but the wing is more blunt than in the 

 rest of the sub-family. The nest and eggs also, as far as is 

 known, are Thrush-like. Irena puella is more aberrant, 

 and has distinct affinities with the Bulbuls. As in the 

 Bulbuls, there are a iew long hairs springing from the nape. 

 The wing is rather pointed ; the rictal bristles are well devel- 

 oped, and the bill more arched than in other Thrushes. The 

 tarsus is short, and the habits arboreal. The nest and eggs 

 are of a distinct type, unlike either those of the Thrushes 

 or Bulbuls. 



Key to Ceylon Turdines. 



A. — Only a slight difference between the sexes ; plumage 

 almost uniform blackish ; lower tail coverts same 

 colour as lower parts. 



Merula kinnisi (Ceylon Blackbird). 



B. — Sexes unlike ; plumage more or less pied ; under tail 

 coverts unmixed white. Genus Geocichla. 



(1) No chestnut in plumage ; some white in tail ; 

 males ; black and white ; females : olive-brown 

 and buffy-white and with lower plumage 

 barred, not pied. 



G. Wardi (Pied Ground Thrush). 



(2) Head and most of lower plumage chestnut ; 

 male : back and scapulars bluish-gray ; female : 

 back and scapulars greenish-brown with 

 yellowish edges. 



G. citrina citrina (Orange -headed Ground 

 Thrush). 



C. — Sexes unlike ; upper plumage blue or brown suffused 

 \nth blue ; lower tail coverts not white ; males : 

 lower parts and tail coverts same hue as rest of 

 plumage ; females : lower parts fulvous with sub- 

 terminal black bars, lower tail coverts fulvous 

 barred with black. 



Petrophila solitaria pandoo (Western Blue Rock 

 Thrush). 

 18 6(17)21 



